Judge Denied Protective Order for Woman Later Shot Outside Lawyer's Office in Murder-Suicide

A California woman had sought an emergency restraining order against her estranged husband a week before he shot her in a murder-suicide on Sunday outside a divorce lawyer’s office in Petaluma.

A Petaluma police officer had telephoned a judge on April 9 with an emergency request for a protective order on behalf of 43-year-old school teacher Kimberly Conover, according to KTVU.com, the Associated Press and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. A Sonoma County judge denied the request, finding there was no present danger of domestic violence.

After the emergency request was denied, Kim Conover visited her divorce lawyer on Sunday for help obtaining a restraining order, according to the Press Democrat. As she left, her husband, Kevin Conover, was waiting outside. He shot Kim Conover before turning the gun on himself.

In the year before the shooting, Kim Conover had called police in three domestic incidents, Kevin Conover called once, and Kim Conover’s daughter called once. Kim Conover was granted a week-long protection order last June, but she later changed her story and told police she didn’t want Kevin arrested.